St. Johns River, Florida
ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX: ST. JOHNS RIVER, FLORIDA INTRODUCTION SENSITIVE BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps have been developed A wetland and aquatic ecologist with Research Planning, Inc. (RPI) for the St. Johns River, from Jacksonville south (upstream) to Sanford, collected and compiled the biological information presented on the Florida. The section of river from Jacksonville to the river mouth at maps with the assistance of state and regional biologists and resource Mayport was published in digital and hardcopy format as part of the managers from the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission East Florida ESI atlas (1996). Six maps from East Florida are included (FGFWFC), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in this hardcopy atlas to provide coverage of the lower river to the (FDEP), and other agencies and organizations. Digital point data for ocean (maps #1-6). However, no new data and no edits have been various resource groups were provided by FGFWFC and the Florida incorporated for these six maps. The St. Johns River ESI maps include Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). Digital data for wetland and information for three main components: shoreline and wetland aquatic habitat types, and other land-use/land-cover features, were habitats; sensitive biological resources; and human-use resources. provided by SJRWMD. Information collected and depicted on the maps Background information, as well as the methods of data collection and denotes the key biological resources that are most likely at risk in the presentation, are summarized in the following sections. event of an oil spill. Seven major categories of biological resources were considered during production of the maps: marine mammals, terrestrial mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, shellfish, and SHORELINE AND WETLAND HABITAT MAPPING habitats/rare plants.
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